


A Shift in Heart

by SleepyOceanGirl



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: 10k, AU, M/M, VERY slight mentions of dan in other relationships, Werewolf, slight mentions of homophobia, vampire, written based on someone else's artwork
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-11
Updated: 2018-02-11
Packaged: 2019-03-17 00:54:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13648017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SleepyOceanGirl/pseuds/SleepyOceanGirl
Summary: When Phil had disappeared into the kitchen, Dan had disappeared out the front door. When Phil returned, with a bowl of popcorn and some tea in hand for Dan, he found the door swaying in the breeze, and the werewolf gone.He sighed, walking outside to stand under the light of the full moon.Dan would come back, but definitely not until sunrise.





	A Shift in Heart

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for my very good friend as a Christmas present, but it's no longer Christmas and also February, so I guess it can't really be called that anymore. It was written based around the phancomics done by pxheart on tumblr!! They're amazing and all of their art is gorgeous, so you should go give some love if you happen to read this!

The stillness in the air was wrong. It was proving that something was disturbing the natural order of things, and Dan knew that it wasn’t him. Nature had learned to make peace with him. Despite the fact that he was anything but natural (when compared to any normal human), he was still a part of Mother Nature’s horde. Had she not wanted him around, he would have been discarded long ago. 

So no, it wasn’t him that was causing the animals to go into hiding (though he was there to hunt), and the trees to go still. Their leaves, despite the slight breeze, didn’t give way to their usual swaying, and not even the crickets were going about their usual night symphony. No, something was definitely wrong. Dan could feel it, and so could they. 

Being what he was, all of his senses were heightened past what they would be for any normal human. Dan felt his ears perk, searching for any sign of movement, and he raised his nose to sniff the air around him. Usually that was something he reserved for hunting, but he supposed it was called for in this situation. It was kind of the same thing, except Dan was fairly certain he wouldn’t be eating whatever  _ this  _ was. 

Despite his best efforts, Dan couldn’t figure out quite what was happening. He was almost sure that a human had wandered into the forest far past their means and gotten lost. Maybe on a dare, or maybe just pure stupidity. But even though it was his best guess, there was nothing. Not even the sound of a heartbeat fluttering desperately in the distance. And it certainly didn’t explain what was going on with the wildlife around him. A mere human wouldn’t have been causing them this much grief. So if not a human, what else?

As far as Dan knew, he was the only supernatural entity wandering around this part of Wales. Actually he was sure he was the only supernatural entity  _ anywhere _ . Just because he was a werewolf didn’t mean that there had to be others out there. In fact, he’d never come across another in his entire twenty five years of existence (not that he’d even known it was possible until he’d turned twenty one). But something was telling him that he was very wrong about being alone. Since his hearing and sense of smell were useless, Dan found himself doing the only thing he could do - short of going home. He climbed a tree to wait and watch for whatever was coming. 

Any other time, Dan would jump at the idea of retreating back into his little hideout. A shack, really, just South of his hunting grounds. It had been left to him by his great uncle, who everyone had thought was crazy. He babbled nonstop about the supernatural, and some curse that was placed on the Howell family. Something about pissing a witch off somewhere along the line, and now every fourth generation Howell was set to inherit this curse. Of course everyone thought it was all bullshit. They had all laughed it off as the crazy ramblings of a drunken old man. But even back then Dan hadn’t been so sure. His uncle had always stared Dan straight in the eye when he went on these so called “tirades.” Something about the way he looked at him made Dan’s stomach clench and his gut twist with fear. 

That had been when he was younger. As he grew older, the babbling became even more psychotic. It turned from just warning the family of the curse to fully singling out the person who their uncle believed with be the next receiver; Dan. He’d tell everyone that Dan was evil. A dark boy, full of dark secrets. He warned that they’d better keep an eye on him, because it was only a matter of time before he turned on them and tore everything in his sight to shreds. Dan was left shaking, after one particular attack that had gone further than any of the rest of them. 

His uncle had fully grabbed Dan by the lapel and snarled,  _ “I know what you are.”  _ His dad had torn the old man off and away from him, and dragged him from their house, still screaming about how sorry they’d all be, eventually, for not listening to him before it was too late. 

After that, his great uncle disappeared. Dan didn’t see him again, and no one talked about him. Dan tried his best to forget, but it was hard. Most of what he’d said had stuck with him, and for good reason it turned out. 

When Dan turned twenty, he inherited his uncle’s cabin. He’d been shocked to find out that he had even been in the will at all. He had been certain that his uncle had hated him. That assumption hadn’t been so far off. When he relocated to the cabin, the first thing he did was try to clean out some of the old junk. In doing so, he came across tons of old drawings, sketches of people half - man - half - beast. Their teeth were razor sharp, and they had hands like claws. But the biggest shock was that they all looked almost exactly like Dan. Or what Dan had grown to look like. The only difference (other than the fact that in these he was clearly a monster) between him and the drawings were the eyes. Dan’s eyes normally were a caramel brown, but in these they were golden. Almost glowing off the paper. Along with the drawings were hundreds of letters, all piled in the most random places. A lot of them were short. Some simply with the word  _ “evil” _ scrawled over every  inch of the paper. Quite a few told Dan that his uncle had always known that he would cause the destruction of their family as they knew it. And the old man had been partially right about that, just probably not in the way he expected.

Dan had always known he was different, especially when it came to his sexuality. The kids at school bullied him and called him names, but more often than not these interactions would end with Dan pressed up against the wall with his bully’s mouth attached to his. He just let it happen, too afraid to fight back and filled with questionable thoughts on whether or not he was disgusted with the idea of being kissed by another boy. He was disgusted with  _ these  _ boys, definitely, but maybe if another one came along. One who treated him good and wasn’t just taking his anger about his sexuality out on Dan. Maybe then, Dan could like a boy. 

This curiosity wound up being the reason Dan really  _ did  _ tear apart their family as they knew it. When his dad had walked in on him kissing a boy from his theater class, that had been the end of the line. So, at seventeen, Dan had been kicked out on the streets, left to fend for himself. His mom had cried the entire time, screaming to his father that it wasn’t a big deal and that they would work through it. But Dan didn’t bother sticking around to hear his father’s response. He knew well enough that nothing would change that man’s mind. 

He mostly wandered the streets, found a few odd jobs here and there, enough to be able to afford a tiny flat just a little ways away from his hometown. He didn’t make the effort to get into contact with any of his family, and it wasn’t until he received a phone call from their lawyer informing him of his newly acquired home that he even really gave it a second thought. Of course he wanted to know how they were doing, and if they were okay without him. He missed his mother and brother horribly, but there was no use in dwelling on it. He’d never be welcomed back into the home, not with his dad in the picture. 

When he’d gotten that phone call, he nearly jumped at the opportunity to get away from the city. He hated people, hated people and being surrounded by bustling city life. He wanted to live as quietly as possible, away from as many people as possible. The only people who’d really be missing him were the boys he went out with occasionally when they’d call, but they only ever wanted one thing, and once they got it Dan was cast away again, waiting for the next phone call. It took him forever to find the small hut, and even longer to properly clean it out, throwing away all the papers and drawings and trying desperately not to think about them. Really he probably should have turned and gone back to the city. But the shack was paid for and left to him, and the only real problems were that the nearest shop was quite a ways away and the wifi was pretty shit. Dan was surprised it had it at all honestly, but he was determined to find a way to fix that problem. 

When he’d finally cleaned up and dusted off most of the old furniture, it began to look more like a home than a hideout of a crazed old man. He settled in for a quiet life, ready to slip into old age without anyone paying him any mind. And that’s what he got, for the first month. 

He had moved into the old place in May, and his birthday was in June. He wasn’t expecting anything really, never was. He hadn’t had a cake in years, and the only people who usually wished him a happy birthday were the people at the dentist, and even then it was in a card that was reminding him when his next cleaning was. 

He’d gone about his business like normal the entire day. Got up, browsed the internet, read a little bit, took a nap, browsed the internet some more, and got up to get food. By the time dusk had rolled around, he’d gotten off the couch maybe four times to use the bathroom and he found himself starving. He’d just gotten a dinner out of the microwave when he was hit with a sudden nausea. The smell of cooked food was making him sick, and he felt like he was suffocating. It was dark, and Dan knew that the forest was dangerous at night, but something was calling to him, telling him that he needed to get outside. Needed to be under the moon and the stars, and when he was everything would be okay again. 

Dan barely made it out the door when he stumbled, falling to his knees. He clutched at his stomach, and his fingers felt like claws. His bones cracked, shifting inside his body, until the pain was too much and he blacked out. When he came to, it was dark, save for the stars and full moon illuminating the night sky. He knew something was wrong. Could feel it in his core. He was surrounded by dead animals, for one thing. A deer, with its stomach shredded open and a hunk of meat missing, sat in front of him. There were a couple rabbits, a squirrel and a bird, all ripped apart in front of him. And when he looked up at the full moon, he knew. His uncle hadn’t been wrong at all. The curse was real, and it had its hold on Dan. He’d given him the cabin because he wanted to isolate Dan from the rest of the population, not because he knew Dan needed space from the real world. And he’d been right in doing so. 

Of course Dan was alarmed, but he was a lot calmer than he would have given himself credit for before any of this. Maybe it was something to do with the moon. Maybe it was because it still hadn’t felt real. That changed when he stood, and he realized he was a lot shorter than his usual six foot, four inch self. Something swished behind him and he knew for sure that it was a tail. He wandered a bit, trotting along the dirt floor of the forest until he came to a nice little pond, one he hadn’t known of before. He wasn’t even really sure where he was, but he couldn’t bring himself to worry about that while all of what was happening was happening. Dan was hesitant to step up to the water, because he already knew what his reflection would reveal. But he had to know. Had to prove to himself that this was really happening, and to him, of all people. 

His reflection confirmed what he already knew was happening, and the only small victory he felt was that the old man hadn’t been right about  _ everything.  _ Yes, Dan was a werewolf, but no, he wasn’t half man half beast. Not this time at least. He was just a wolf. He appeared to be a little bigger than normal wolves, but Dan wasn’t really sure. He had never seen a wolf up close. Only at the few zoos he’d been to in his lifetime, and only from the safe distance behind the plexiglass as the wolves paced back and forth and slept on the rocks of the makeshift mountains. Before, he’d been excited by the animals, pointing them out to his parents and dragging everyone to their exhibit first. Now the thought of being trapped in one of those made him sick. He wasn’t sure when, or if, he’d ever change back, but somehow even that thought wasn’t enough to put him off. He supposed he could blame it more on the animalistic side of him, because he was certain had he been in human form he’d be shrieking at the sight of himself. But like this, all he wanted to do was run. And hunt. And run some more. 

That’s what he did, until the sun came up, and some part of his brain began leading him home. Almost like it knew it was time. He followed his human scent all the way back to the tiny hut, and passed out in the living room as soon as he stepped foot through the door. When he came to, the door was wide open, and he was naked and shivering from the slight breeze the wind was carrying in. He knew it hadn’t been a dream, and while he was terrified he had also been almost excited of the idea of the whole thing. Throughout his life he’d been so completely and utterly  _ bored _ and now he was getting the chance to live, a new, more freeing life.

That had been four years ago, and the excitement had died and turned to weariness. He had no contact with the outside world. Now that he could hunt for himself, there wasn’t really a reason to go to the store all that much, unless he was really craving something he couldn’t get out in the wilderness. So those four years had passed slowly, but Dan had learned to manage the wild side of himself. He could feel the wolf trying to claw its way out almost always, and it took a lot of concentration to squash the animal back down. He’d been mostly successful in the past, but there’d been quite a few times where it was nearly impossible. In the beginning, he spent a lot of time as a wolf. 

That was the thing that the stories had all gotten wrong. He wasn’t just under the influence of the full moon. He was under the influence of  _ all  _ moons. She called to him, and his wolf half always wanted to answer. 

On some nights, nights like this, Dan let it beckon and take control. He didn’t see the harm in allowing himself to explore, and in wolf form he could find his way home without any problems. Plus, his wolf enjoyed it, enjoyed the ability to stalk and hunt prey until it belonged to him, and Dan had to admit that some part of him enjoyed it as well. The little thrill of doing something right made him happy. It was nice to let himself loose every now and then. 

But that was why he had ended up in the situation he was in at all. Perched in a tree like a bird instead of a wolf, watching the ground below him with sharp, golden eyes. He wasn’t in wolf form anymore, but he’d discovered that he could still maintain most of the senses that came with it, even if he looked human at the moment. In situations like this, it was beyond helpful. 

He sat like that for what felt like hours, but any forced stillness felt like forever to his wolf. He hated sitting still, always wanted to be on the move, especially during hunting time. Dan had learned to manage him well enough that it stopped his fidgeting for a while, but every fiber of his being was aching for him to get back on the ground and search for new, fresh meat to rip apart. The only problem was that there was no way for him to do that when whatever had scared all of the animals off was still lurking around.

Eventually, he got tired of watching the ground and chose to relax himself into the tree. The animals still hadn’t come back, but he felt like if whatever was around was still around, it definitely would have attacked him by that point. A nap wouldn’t kill him, probably, and his eyes were getting tired and he was getting bored. If he wasn’t so unnaturally curious he would have gone home the second he realized something was wrong. 

Of course he couldn’t even get a reprieve from his watch though, because the second he closed his eyes they were shooting open again, and golden brown met an array of colors. 

The initial shock was almost so much that Dan nearly fell from his spot in the tree. He silently thanked the witch who cursed his family all those years ago for at least giving him good reflexes. It had truly been the only thing to save him. 

“Hello!” 

That was the first thing to come from the bloodsucker’s mouth. Dan couldn’t help but curl his lip in disdain. Sure, he was cute, with his dark hair and blue, green, yellow eyes. However, the fangs protruding from his red lips were  _ not  _ cute. They were sharp, and Dan knew they were dangerous. 

“Look, Leech-”

And then he was gone. Dan blinked and suddenly there was no one in front of him and he was left wondering if he was somehow going crazy. If maybe, after all those years alone, he’d finally invented someone to keep him company. He just couldn’t figure out why, if he had been creating a person all on his own, he would create a vampire of all things. 

But a pale hand gripped the large branch Dan had found himself lounging on, and then those blue eyes and ivory fangs were back, and directly in Dan’s face. 

“Don’t worry,” the smile was blinding, “I’m here, I’m alive!” 

Dan couldn’t help the small snarl and slight eye roll, “No, you aren’t alive. You’re a bloodsucker, and you can’t die like that…” he paused, dragging his narrowed golden eyes back to the face in front of him, “ _ unfortunately.” _

If Dan didn’t know any better, he’d say the man (if he could even be called that) started to pout. Serious, full lip quivering, puppy eyed pouting. 

“So I take it that you don’t remember me?” Maybe Dan wasn’t imagining it, because there was definitely a whine in this man’s voice.

“Remember you? From what?”

The blue eyes flashed with something akin to hurt, but the emotion was gone before Dan could even register that it had been there at all. This man was good at hiding things, Dan could tell, and he had a feeling he wasn’t going to be getting an answer to his question.

“Never mind that, I can’t believe we’ve run into each other again after all this time! And now you’re finally in your own skin!” The moonlight bounced off his hair and made it blue, and shone on his fangs and made them sparkle. Dan felt the thud of his own heart, and had to take a moment to calm himself down. He knew that the  _ thing  _ in front of him could hear it, probably just as well as Dan himself could. He wasn’t even sure what was happening, but he was not going to let this bloodsucker use it against him. 

_ In his own skin? What was that supposed to mean?  _

Dan knew he wouldn’t get any answers, not on that front, at least, but he wasn’t going to not ask what this leech was doing in  _ his  _ territory. And he wasn’t going to not expect an answer. 

“Why are you here? Where did you come from and what do you want?” Dan let his own teeth show, canines longer than normal, and definitely sharp enough to tear through flesh, “You know this is  _ my  _ hunting ground. You must’ve been able to smell it.”

The smile remained, “I’m Phil, what’s your name?” 

Dan growled, frustrated by not getting anywhere, “Where did you come from and why are you here?” 

The vampire didn’t even blink “I live around here, wanted to meet the new neighbors!”

Dan’s brow furrowed, “I’m not new, and there are no other people. And you can’t have just moved here, I would have found you by now…” 

“I live around here,” Phil shrugged, repeating himself, “what’s your name?”

“Dan,” the man was in an owl print sweater, Dan wasn’t really sure how much damage he could do, “I’m Dan.” 

“Dan,” Phil echoed back, like he was testing the name in his mouth. Dan shuddered a little. It had been so long since he’d heard his own name spoken out loud, and even longer since he’d carried on an actual conversation with anyone. Plus, he couldn’t deny that it sounded like heaven coming from Phil’s lips, even if he had to speak around two deadly looking fangs. 

He was really pretty, that was undeniable. 

“Do you want to come back to mine for dinner?” 

Dan jumped, defenses up once more,  _ “Why?”  _

This time Phil’s cheery persona really did drop, a frown replacing his seemingly always there smile “Not for the reason you’re thinking,” he rolled his eyes, “I want to get to know more about you, not eat you.”

“No, hell no,” Dan stood, and jumped to the ground, landing in a crouch on his feet, “and in case you didn’t notice, you kind of interrupted my hunting.” He growled, “You should know all about that.” 

He stalked his way through the forest as quickly as his feet would carry him. He didn’t feel like going full wolf, because it took a lot of energy, and he wasn’t quite sure how his wolf would react with another predator in his territory. He didn’t want to hurt Phil, because Phil (so far) hadn’t done anything to hurt him. And whatever Dan was, he wasn’t a monster. Phil might not be living, but he was still a person. No matter what his vital signs might be. 

But really, there was no use in trying to hunt, not when the animals had all been scared away by some corpse. 

Even if he was a really pretty one. 

Dan shook his head, growling at nothing. It didn’t take long to reach his cabin, and Phil seemed to have had enough sense not to follow him, and for that Dan was thankful. He’d end up going to bed hungry, and there was no human food in the house, which meant he’d either have to risk a trip to the shop tomorrow on a totally empty stomach, or he’d have to go out and try to hunt again. Hopefully with no interruptions this time. 

Dan groaned. Neither sounded particularly appealing, especially if Phil was lurking around again, but he knew he’d have to do it. He couldn’t put others in danger, and he didn’t know how his wolf would react around people when he was starved. 

Dan got ready for bed as the sun was rising, and he slept restlessly until early evening. When he woke up, he felt like he’d only just closed his eyes. 

The sun was slowly making its descent behind the horizon, and Dan’s stomach rumbled. He was  _ hungry _ , and if he didn’t eat soon, he was going to be sick. Only once had Dan tried to dispel his hunger for fresh meat by ignoring the beast inside him. He was fine for the first three days, munching on human food here and there, but eventually not even that was appealing enough. Normally, he could live on  _ just  _ human food, at least for a while. But it was like his wolf knew what he was doing, and was punishing him for it. He spent the next three curled up on his cold, wooden floor. It cooled his skin, but he felt like he was burning on the inside. Like fire was licking at every inch of his body. Undoubtedly it was the wolf clawing to get out and eat. He ignored it as best as he could, determined not to let the animal have its way. To show that  _ he  _ was in control.  

On day seven, he woke up naked in a clearing he didn’t recognize (it took him at least two hours to find his way home), surrounded by a mass of animals, all torn to shreds. Each one almost unidentifiable if it hadn’t been for their sizes. It was the most he’d ever taken from Mother Nature, and he didn’t plan on doing it again. 

Dan made his way through the forest, as quietly as possible. Searching for prey was always better when he was in human form. Not because his senses were better (they were heightened in wolf form, but still enough to get by with when he was human), but because when he was a wolf it was hard to pay attention to anything  _ but  _ food. As a human, he could at least appreciate all that nature had to offer him. Could focus on things other than just  _ the hunt _ . Like how pretty all the wildflowers looked in bloom, or how calming the soft blowing of the wind was as it ran through his hair, lifting the curls gently off his head, like it was running delicate fingers through them. He ran his hands over the tough tree bark, enjoying the scraping of his palms over the flaking wood. It soothed his nerves, to feel that he was one with nature while still being human. 

It didn’t last long though, because his wolf was starved, and Dan was tired of fighting it. As soon as he heard the twig snap, Dan was heading straight for the clearing, smelling the rabbit before it was even in his line of vision. He poked his head through a small opening in the brush, and watched as the animal sat in the middle of the small patch of grass, bathing in the dying sunlight, like it had been placed there solely for Dan to find. 

And the poor thing was completely unaware of what was happening. 

Dan usually felt bad when he thought about hunting outside of when he was actually in the middle of doing it. Felt like he should just be going to the store and buying the already packaged meat rather than killing the animals himself. Hated thinking about the way their eyes and body drained and darkened before they finally went limp. He’d always loved animals, and it was hard to fathom that now they should be afraid of him.

But that was only when he wasn’t in the middle of hunting. When he was like this, it was impossible to turn off the excitement he felt about everything he always hated about it. The way he was in total control over how it happened, and the way his prey never saw him coming kept him thrilled, and gave his wolf a certain sense of pride. Like he was telling Dan  _ I’m doing this for us, look how good we are at it!  _ And expecting it to make Dan happy. 

It didn’t. 

Dan felt his teeth grow in anticipation as the bunny’s small nose twitched, like it could feel that something was amiss. It probably could, animals were pretty good at that, but by then it would be too late. 

Dan made a move to shift, but before he could he felt a massive weight above him, and suddenly pale arms were flung around his shoulders and Phil’s head was atop Dan’s. 

Dan almost panicked,  _ almost _ , because even though he knew he could take whoever it was that was dumb enough to attack him it still sent a shockwave through him, having another person touch him. It had been far too long since Dan had had anyone to speak to, let alone to touch him. 

“Oh, how cute!” Phil kept his voice low, but considering he was  _ literally  _ on top of Dan it wasn’t like he exactly needed to yell. 

Of course once Dan realized it was Phil he really  _ did  _ panic, because not only had he managed to somehow sneak up on Dan, he managed to do it while Dan was near - shift and half starved. 

He stood quickly, throwing Phil off of him and enticing a small, “ouch!” from the vampire. 

Dan didn’t care. His annoyance was mounted with fear that any moment his wolf would decide enough was enough and rip into Phil. He was a vampire, sure, and he could probably beat Dan (if he was as old as he made himself seem during their last meeting only twenty four hours ago), but either way Dan knew his wolf would put up a fight and it would result in either one or both of them being dangerously hurt. 

“For fuck sake,” Dan took a quick step back, and growled loud enough to make Phil flinch, “why do you keep following me? What do you want from me?”

Phil, despite maybe being slightly terrified that he had really upset Dan, smiled brightly, “How about dinner at mine?” 

Dan couldn’t believe what he was hearing. First the bloodsucker appears from out of nowhere, enters his hunting territory not once, but  _ twice  _ in less than one day, refuses to answer any of his questions, and then asks him to dinner at his place. Again. Also for the  _ second  _ time in less than a day. 

Even if he was gorgeous, he couldn’t be serious. 

“Look,” Dan started, painting clear annoyance over his features and trying to hide his mad blush, “I can catch my own food. I don’t need your charity.”

“It’s not charity,” Phil pounted, “I really just want you over.” He cast a short glance over to the patch of grass where the rabbit  _ had  _ been, “Plus we scared away your dinner.”

Dan gave a quick glance to the clearing and groaned in frustration at the lack of animal. Of course with all the noise the two were making it wasn’t going to stick around. And Dan wasn’t even in the mood to hunt anymore anyway. Any interaction with Phil seemed to drain him of any energy he had. 

“No,  _ you  _ scared away my dinner,” Dan huffed back, “I would have been just fine had you not interrupted, idiot.” 

Phil actually seemed to shrink against himself, still sitting where he’d fallen when Dan shoved him off. “Yeah, it is my fault. Animals don’t like me all that much anymore,” He looked impossibly small down there, and the look on his face almost made Dan want to reach out and tell him it wasn’t his fault, and that it was because the rabbit could sense Dan watching it, not because Phil was being loud, “and it’s not because I was talking, it’s ‘cause they can just tell something is wrong when I’m around.”

Well.

Dan wanted to walk away. He was going to, had prepared himself to just pretend like the whole encounter never happened. Except, Phil looked so small, and when Dan met his eyes, they were practically begging. 

“Please?”

When they walked through Phil’s door, Dan was only slightly put off by how many house

plants there were. Literally every corner of the room was filled with them, even the fireplace had a large potted one sitting in the middle of it. There were baskets hanging from hooks on the ceiling, and the mantle was covered with cactuses and old family photos. There were four people consistently in each photo. One was instantly recognizable as Phil, but the others Dan had to assume were his family. There was another boy, who looked a few years older than Phil, his brother, no doubt, and a man and woman who Dan thought were probably their parents. The woman looked exactly like Phil, but blonde. 

Phil himself had disappeared into the kitchen, giving a quick, “Make yourself at home!” before leaving Dan to his own devices. 

Dan sighed. He wanted to go home. He was starving, and whatever Phil had started preparing in the kitchen smelled delicious, but Dan wasn’t even sure how he’d ended up in his house to begin with. He’d heard (from old myths, but still) that vampires had the ability to take control of other people’s minds. He wasn’t sure how true that was, but he was beginning to feel like maybe that was what had happened to him. 

Still, he was there, and there  _ was  _ food, Dan could smell. It wouldn’t do him any good to leave when he was getting a free meal out of it. All he really had to do was make it through half an hour worth of small talk, and he could be gone. 

“I hope Italian is okay?” Phil called from the kitchen, making Dan jump a little. It felt like it had been quiet for a long time and Dan was lost trying to think of ways to stay away from the quirky vampire and his owl pattern shirts. 

Dan grunted a quick approval as he wandered around the living room, taking in the make of the house itself. It was a lot more open than he would have expected, for a vampire. The windows were huge, and there were curtains covering them, but it looked like a lot of natural light could stream in from them if they were allowed to. Dan wondered if the myth about sunlight was true. Maybe he’d have to test it. 

Dan shook the thought of his head. That would suggest that they had to meet again, and that was definitely something Dan was  _ not  _ planning on doing. This was it. He’d already promised himself. 

The rest of the house looked like maybe it was structured the same. Same open windows, white walls, and wooden floors. Different house plants scattered around. There was a staircase leading to a second floor, but Dan wasn’t there to explore, no matter how much he wanted to see whether Phil really slept in a coffin or not. 

He turned away from the stairs with a sigh and moved back to the mantle. He caught sight of one particular picture of the family. The mom and dad were dressed up, and there was a kid on each of their laps. Phil and his brother were dressed in the same outfits, and they were all cheesing at the camera. The picture looked older, like something straight from the twenties.

Dan plucked it off the shelf and felt something in his chest constrict. It had been such a long time since he had talked to his own family, and even when he was around they hadn’t always been the most loving of people, and it made him long for what Phil had. Or what Phil had had. There was no evidence of anybody but Phil being there anymore, and it made Dan a little sad for Phil. He knew all too well what it was like to lose family, and he didn’t wish it on anyone. 

But it also made him wonder just how old Phil really was. If his family was gone, and there was no trace of new pictures or anything, how long had he been the way he was?

He didn’t have time to think about it for long because suddenly Phil was in the doorway, fangs poking his lips through a grin, “Hope you like spaghetti, it was the only real human food I had.”

Dan shoved the picture behind his back, feeling his face flush. By the look on Phil’s face, he’d totally caught Dan staring down at the picture, but, to his credit, he didn’t say anything about it. Dan silently thanked whatever god there was for that one. If Phil had mentioned it, or tried to tease him, Dan definitely would have just walked out the front door and not looked back. It had been far too long since his last interaction with anyone, and if that had happened, it would be another four years before he even felt confident enough to leave his own house. 

Phil smiled again and disappeared, his black head of hair fading into the kitchen. Dan followed reluctantly, letting his feet drag. He was starved, but that didn’t mean he really wanted to spend the whole night at a dinner table with a  _ vampire  _ of all things. 

But any ounce of irritation Dan had at the idea of being trapped in Phil’s house evaporated the minute the vampire set the plate of food in front of him. It looked amazing, but it smelled even better.

“Eat up!”

He reached for his fork and dove in, not even giving the other man a second glance. He was about halfway through it when he stopped, looking up at Phil, who was doing nothing but staring at him as he wolfed the food down. 

“Did you do something to this?” 

“No, I would never!” Phil looked mildly hurt, “I told you I just wanted to give you a nice meal. And it’s good, isn’t it?” 

Dan nodded.

“I really tried my best, I used to cook a lot before…” 

He trailed, unable to finish his sentence. It made Dan far more sad than it should have, so instead of responding he just took to finishing the rest of his meal. The two sat in comfortable silence, and before Dan knew it, there was another plate in front of him. It felt like he hadn’t eaten in days, and it seemed that Phil had an abnormally large supply of spaghetti noodles for having just met Dan the day before. 

Finally, he finished his last plate, and looked up to find Phil missing from the table. Dan had hardly noticed him, and definitely didn’t see the man leave, but he could hear the sink running, and the sound of dishes clanking together. It felt oddly domestic, and Dan was a little terrified of how calming it was to just hear another person maneuvering around the house. 

He stood slowly, and moved to the doorway of the kitchen, leaning against the frame as he watched Phil work. The vampire had donned a pink apron and was humming softly to himself, and Dan, despite having told himself that once he ate he was going to bolt, found that he couldn’t move. 

The humming continued for a few moments before Phil sighed, “Are you going to help or are you just going to stand there and watch me?”

Dan flushed, but made his way over anyway. 

“I - aren’t you going to eat?”

In retrospect, it probably wasn’t the smartest question to ask, and if Dan had just thought before he spoke, Phil wouldn’t have turned to him with that dumb little smirk and newly red eyes and said, “Is that an offer?”

Dan didn’t even blink before Phil’s hand was on his cheek, tilting his head and exposing his neck. He felt a wild sense of urgency, a need to get away, before Phil started laughing, his eyes back to their normal blue and sparkling with mirth. 

Dan growled at him, and shoved the other man’s hand away from his face, “Would you stop it?” 

“I was only teasing,” Phil pouted, “you’re too cute when you blush. It’s impossible  _ not  _ to tease you.”

Dan rolled his eyes, “Okay, I’m done.” 

He turned to leave when Phil was suddenly in front of him. Other than hanging above him in the tree, and his eyes a few minutes ago, Phil had yet to display almost any vampiric ability in front of Dan. It was a first, and it was a little unsettling just how quickly he’d managed to block the only exit. 

“Please, stay, let’s watch a movie together?” He looked hopeful, lilting his sentence to form a question, even though Dan felt that, ultimately, Phil wasn’t going to let him have a choice. 

“Forget it.”

“Please? It’s dark out, I don’t want you alone!”

“Move, Phil.”

“No.”

“Look,” Dan started, taking a step forward as Phil took one back, even further into the doorway, “I’m a werewolf, Phil. I’m pretty sure I can handle myself in the dark.”

“But your house is tiny and lonely and please just stay?” Phil whined, stepping closer to Dan and reaching out, “Please? Just for tonight? You can go home tomorrow, promise.”

Dan didn’t question how Phil knew what his house looked like, because he figured Phil wouldn’t answer him in the first place. But more than that, he looked entirely too desperate, and Dan felt a wave of want wash over him. He wanted to stay with this man, even if just for the night. He wanted to appease him, make him happy and content. Wanted to stay in the presence of somebody who actually wanted  _ him  _ for once. 

Dan exhaled, already resigning himself to the fact that he wasn’t going anywhere, “I’m a lone wolf, and I definitely don’t do friends, but -” 

Phil’s eyes lit up with so much excitement, it looked like he was going to burst, “Yes! I promise you won’t regret this!”

He disappeared for a minute, and then rushed back with a set of clothes. Black sweatpants and a purple cheshire shirt. Dan sighed, but took the clothes from Phil’s pale hands. 

“Only for tonight!” He warned, “And what bedroom am I sleeping in? I’m assuming there’s a spare upstairs or something?”

Phil’s kept grinning, “Oh yeah, you’ll be sleeping in mine. The others are under construction!”

That wasn’t true, Dan was sure, but he’d already told Phil he’d stay, and he was tired,  and he as annoyed as he was he didn’t think he could handle Phil’s disappointed face. 

“ _ Fine, _ ” he huffed, “but there are going to be ground rules.”

Phil looked like he didn’t care about anything, much past the fact that Dan had actually agreed to stay.

“You  _ stay away  _ from me, understood?”

“Sure!” 

“I’m a light sleeper.”

Phil put his hands together in excitement, “I’ll be as quiet as a coffin!”

Dan rolled his eyes, “No sneak biting in the night - ” 

“I wouldn’t dream of it!”

“Or I  _ kill  _ you. Am I understood?”

“Yes!” Phil nodded eagerly before grabbing Dan’s hand, “Come on, you can get changed

in the bathroom upstairs.”

Dan’s heart was pounding so quickly it felt like it was going to escape from his chest.

Phil could hear it, undoubtedly, but he said nothing as he escorted Dan upstairs. 

The rest of the night went fairly well. If Dan had to use a word to describe it, it would be quiet. They hadn’t really said much, really they’d just gotten into bed together and started a movie on netflix. It wasn’t long before Phil was falling asleep, his body slumping so that his head was laying gently on Dan’s shoulder. 

Dan couldn’t bring himself to move Phil. Couldn’t even bring himself to be annoyed. He was surprised to see a steady rise and fall of the vampire’s chest, and part of him wondered if he even needed to breathe. Maybe Phil was doing it for his benefit. Maybe he knew it would make Dan feel a lot better to just watch the way his chest moved up and down with a steady rhythm. Or maybe Phil was doing it because he wanted to feel more human than he was. At any rate, watching him was lulling Dan to sleep, and it wasn’t long before he too was succumbing to sweet unconsciousness. The last clear thought Dan remembered having was  _ What have I gotten myself into? _

When Dan woke up the next morning, it was to a darkened room, soft sheets, and a heavy vampire strewn across his chest. Phil was still asleep, somehow, so Dan just stared at the ceiling as the sunlight began to poke through a tiny sliver of curtain. Phil hissed, opening his eyes, as the sun hit a tiny piece of his arm.

Dan was already looking at Phil when he finally blinked the sleep out of his bleary eyes, and Phil grinned, looking pleased that Dan was still there, and also that he hadn’t shoved Phil away from him. His fangs, Dan had to admit, looked a lot less dangerous this early in the morning. And especially not when Phil was wearing emoji pajamas. 

“Hi,” Phil whispered it like they were sharing some kind of secret. 

“Hi.” Dan whispered back, wanting to pretend like they were.

It was quiet for a really long time, neither of them moving. They didn’t look away from each other, and Dan felt himself falling just a little more for the ridiculously adorable vampire. The rest of the day was spent curled up on the couch in the lounge, watching Studio Ghibli movies and discussing which were their favorites and which they tended to stay away from. Phil,  _ thankfully _ , had wifi. As he explained to Dan, how could you be eternal and  _ not  _ have wifi? He might be old, but he wasn’t behind on the times. 

When night came, Dan felt something in him shift. His wolf had been unusually quiet all day, but Dan had chalked it up to the fact that he was actually spending time with another person, human or not. He’d figured that maybe the wolf hadn’t shown up because he didn’t need it to. But when he looked outside, he felt the familiar tug of the moon calling. Stronger than it usually was. He sighed, disappointed in himself for not paying more attention. For not realizing that there was going to be a full moon, and for letting Phil lull him into wanting to stay the night, and the day, and every day for the rest of forever. And Dan knew that, even though he’d desperately wanted to, he couldn’t. Not tonight, at the very least. Not when he  _ had  _ to shift, and not when Phil would have to see what he really was. 

Of course he knew, but he hadn’t  _ seen  _ the extent of what Dan was like. What Dan could do. And Dan couldn’t take the chance of Phil hating him for what was only in his nature. He’d only spent a full day with the vampire, and already he valued his opinion more than anyone else he’d ever known. Even that of his own parents. 

When Phil had disappeared into the kitchen, Dan had disappeared out the front door. When Phil returned, with a bowl of popcorn and some tea in hand for Dan, he found the door swaying in the breeze, and the werewolf gone. 

He sighed, walking outside to stand under the light of the full moon. Dan would come back, but definitely not until sunrise. 

This proved to be true, because just as the sun was beginning to peak beyond the horizon, Dan returned. Phil had stayed out on his porch all night, waiting for the werewolf to make his appearance. He watched the moon make her slow way across the sky, shining bigger and brighter than she had for the past month. 

Phil sighed as Dan made his way over to him in the same clothing he had left in the night before. The pajamas that Phil had given him to stay the night, and insisted that he continue to wear through their movie day. 

He looked sheepish. Almost like he was embarrassed for something. 

Phil didn’t even get the chance to open his mouth before Dan was huffing out a quick, “I don’t want to talk about it.” and making his way back into the house like he owned it. Phil had no objections to this. Dan was wearing  _ Phil’s  _ clothes, looking rather sleepy, and walking into  _ Phil’s  _ house, and up to  _ Phil’s  _ room, like he belonged there. And Phil found that he couldn’t help but agree.

Phil would never admit, if asked, that he had been watching Dan for far longer than Dan knew about. And when he’d seen the tiny shack that Dan was living in, he was nearly appalled enough to barge right into it and drag Dan kicking and screaming back to Phil’s house, where it was undoubtedly homier and definitely  _ not  _ a hamster cage. At least not in the same sense as Dan’s house. The fact that Dan was currently (probably) snuggled up in Phil’s bed made Phil all the happier. At least he knew the werewolf was safe and sound, and actually able to stand to his full height without bashing his head on the ceiling, should he wish to. 

He made his way upstairs and into his bedroom and curled himself in the bed with Dan, moving slowly so that he could lay his head down on the other’s chest without disturbing him. Dan was, perhaps unsurprisingly, really nice to cuddle with. Maybe it was because Phil was so cold compared to him, or the fact that he was extra warm, wolf heat and all that, but Dan was undeniably easy to snuggle against and relax into. Phil let Dan sleep, but found that he couldn’t put his mind at ease for a long while. He laid there for what felt like forever, listening to the even sounds of Dan’s breathing, and marveled at what it must be like to still be alive. 

It wasn’t like Phil hated being a vampire. Sure, the animals were scared of him now, save for birds, for some odd reason, and that made him sad, but it wasn’t all bad. The sun didn’t burn him, just irritated him enough to keep him inside until nighttime, which was fine considering he had always been more of a night owl anyway. All the myths about garlic and crosses were fake. He still had a cross in the kitchen, where his mom had put it all those years ago. He wasn’t particularly religious, with the whole living forever thing, but he found that he couldn’t take it down. It reminded him of his family, and that was enough. His skin was pale and cold, but that wasn’t much different from before. The only thing Phil  _ wasn’t  _ sure of was the stake through the heart to kill him, but he’d seen enough Buffy to know not to mess around with that one. 

It wasn’t all bad, either. There were a few perks. He could see and hear better. He didn’t really need his glasses, but he’d always felt his face looked softer with them on, so he wore them a lot, especially around humans, because otherwise, people told him he came off as too  _ sharp _ , whatever that meant. He also had the ability to charm humans into doing whatever he wanted them to do, but that was something he only ever used if completely necessary. Like if they had seen his eyes flash their unnatural red, or seen something really embarrassing, like the time he tripped over one of the parking things at the mall and that kid had laughed at him. 

Oh, and he got to live at the ripe old age of twenty - nine forever. But he wasn’t sure if he could count that one as a perk or not. 

Dan stirred in his sleep and broke Phil from his revere. He didn’t wake up, but took a moment to wind his arms around Phil. Phil didn’t move, didn’t breathe (figuratively  _ and  _ literally), afraid that any sound might wake Dan completely and Phil would be thrown off him and onto the floor. Though the morning before Dan had been perfectly pleasant to Phil waking up in his arms, and didn’t really say anything about it during the day, so maybe that had been a good sign.

The werewolf didn’t wake, only sighed and drifted back into whatever dream he’d been having. Phil let himself relax then. Lying awake watching Dan sleep the day away was doing nothing for him. It had been just as long since he had gotten any sleep either, not that he really needed it as much, but he let the faint sound of the werewolf lightly snoring next to him lull him into unconsciousness. 

When Phil woke up, it was dark and Dan was gone. Phil could still hear him in the house, in the kitchen, probably grabbing something to eat. Dan hadn’t struck someone as the type to insert himself into someone’s life the way he had Phil’s (even though it was technically Phil’s fault), but he seemed to have no problem pretending like the vampire’s house was his own. That made Phil happy. More happy than he had been in years. 

By the time he’d finally dragged himself out of bed, Dan had placed himself on the couch to watch an anime that Phil didn’t recognize. But the sight of him, quietly sitting on Phil’s couch, completely engrossed in an anime, with a bowl of cereal cradled in his hands, made Phil’s heart swell. He was immortal, and in all the time he’d been alive, he’d never felt that way about anyone. Not even in his past life. When he was young, and human, and full of love to give. Phil had always been different, even then, even before the whole vampire thing. Growing up in the 1930’s countryside wasn’t exactly the place where he could experiment, and be open about his attraction to boys. He  _ had  _ told his parents, and they had assured him that while they didn’t understand it, they loved him either way. That was comforting, but also not a response that Phil expected from most people, so he kept those feelings bottled away. 

But it wasn’t the 1930’s anymore. And there was a beautiful werewolf boy sitting on his couch looking softer than Phil imagined he could have looked. And Phil  _ loved  _ him. 

It had only been a few days for Dan, but Phil had known him since he was a child. They’d even met, but Phil was certain Dan didn’t remember that, because Dan himself had told Phil he didn’t. Once, when Phil had first come back to Wales, he’d been attacked. There was a hunter who was just passing through town, doing a sweep to ensure that the sleepy town stayed sleepy. Phil had been out taking in the town’s nightlife when he found himself shoved against a wall, knife to his throat and steely green eyes drilling into his face. 

“Show your fangs,  _ leech _ .” Was what the hunter had said to him, as his lips were pushed open to show his pointed canines. They were enough evidence for the hunter to whip out her stake, and shove it against his heart. He hissed at her, eyes turning red, and fangs growing even larger as he clawed at her hand on his throat. She was stronger than he was, though, and she knew all the points to keep him emaciated. She’d been doing this for a long time, it seemed. 

Phil was desperate. He wanted to explain to her that he only drank from animals, and only when he  _ had  _ to. In all his years as a vampire, he’d never killed a human, and had only drank from them a handful of times. But she wasn’t letting up, and even if she did something told Phil she wouldn’t believe him. It wasn’t her  _ job  _ to believe him. It was her job to exterminate him, and everyone like him. And it didn’t help that in his panicked state, he looked every bit the murderous vampire.

Phil had been seconds away from giving up, and she had been seconds away from shoving her dagger through his chest when a quiet gasp startled both of them out of their encounter. 

“What are you doing to him? Are you hurting him?” 

The boy couldn’t have been more than six, and while the mass of brown curls and warm brown eyes made him look soft, his tone of voice proved otherwise. It was sharp, but without an ounce of panic. Rather put, it looked like he knew he was witnessing a crime, and he was going to have no problem telling everyone and anyone. And he wanted the hunter in front of Phil to know it. 

Phil whipped his head around at the same time she did, red eyes meeting the curious brown of the child before them. Truly, he couldn’t have been more relieved if he tried. Hunters only sought out the supernatural, and it was their duty to protect humans. She wouldn’t hurt the child. She  _ couldn’t.  _

The second she opened her mouth to give a quick, “Where are your parents?” Phil slipped from her loosened grasp, and made his way out of the alley. The child would be fine, and Phil needed to go home and cry. He was certain the hunter would try and find him, but he was also certain that she never would. He was far enough away from the main town, and he was relatively new. Added to the fact that he didn’t drink human blood, there was nothing to even tie him there. He knew she would give up, eventually. She probably though he had been like her; just passing through. 

Still, Phil didn’t leave his house for two weeks, just to be safe. But the minute he stepped foot in the town again, eager to just be where the people were and feel normal for just a moment, he was overwhelmed by the sense of another supernatural presence. 

Phil wasn’t one to investigate  _ anything _ . Supernatural or not. But he could sense it wasn’t a vampire, and he’d never met another person like him who  _ wasn’t  _ a vampire. And Phil was nothing if not curious. He made his way through town as dark finally settled over it, and people began turning lights off and getting ready for bed. He followed the trail to a small house, nestled with others just like it, at the end of a road. The lights were all off except for one, in the back of the house, and where Phil could feel the power that only came with being something  _ inhuman _ the most. 

He poked his head through the window, watching with a careful eye as a mother tucked her child into bed, placing a soft kiss on top of his forehead as she wished him a good night’s sleep. At first, Phil thought it might have been her, and he watched in fascination, wondering what she might be. Siren? Nymph? Fae? 

But as she closed the door, the feeling remained, and Phil dragged his eyes back to the boy she had just tucked in.

To find him staring straight at him. 

Phil threw himself from the windowpane, terrified that the boy would scream about the creepy man watching him in the window. 

Phil felt himself cringe. If he were a kid and some weirdo was looking at him through his window, he’d probably scream too. 

But no noise came, save for the padding of small feet across a wooden floor, and the window itself being pushed open by small hands. 

Phil was ready to bolt, but a small voice stopped him. 

“You know, it wouldn’t be very nice of you to kill me after I saved you.” The boy was so matter of fact that it shocked Phil into silence. 

“If you try to come in here, I’ll call my dad.” The boy put a defiant chin up, like begging Phil to make the first move so he could have his dad come outside and pummel him. 

Phil was shocked by how unbothered he seemed by this whole thing. Unbothered by the fact that there was a random stranger, who was,  _ clearly _ , not human standing at his window at night gawking at him. 

But he didn’t want the boy to suddenly have a change of heart and freak out, and he certainly didn’t want him to feel like he was there to kill him. 

“I’m not here to kill you, I just…” Phil trailed, “are you human?” 

The boy stood there, taking Phil in, and it gave Phil the chills to have this child staring at him so calmly.

“Yes,” the boy said, but Phil knew that that wasn’t quite true, whether the child knew it or not, “and you aren’t.” Again with the ‘matter of fact’ way of speaking. 

Phil sighed, “No, I’m not,” and to himself, “and I don’t really think you are, either.” Phil hadn’t sensed it before, but in his defence he had been pressed against a brick wall with a stake jabbed into his chest. But now, standing before this child, Phil knew without a doubt that he wasn’t human.

The child continued watching him, before giving a quiet, “I’m Dan.”

Phil stared, “I’m Phil,” they were both quiet for a moment, “You know that you have to forget about all of this, right Dan?” Phil was trying to use his “you have to do what I say, but I’m not really influencing you” voice, but he wasn’t so sure it would work on this kid.

Dan watched him for a long time, long enough to unnerve Phil into bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet and shifting his eyes to the wall behind the child as Dan started at him. 

“Yes, I know.” And then the window closed, and that was the last time they spoke to each other.

Phil had seen him around town after that. A few times on nightwalks with his family, but more often than not he was simply by himself, wandering around the town long after everyone had gone to bed. He’d grown tall and lanky as a teenager, and it made Phil happy to see how he’d grown from a strong child into a strong young man. Phil knew that at age seventeen he’d been kicked out, and that he’d disappeared for a while after that. Phil didn’t follow him, because it wasn’t his business to. He still wasn’t absolutely sure that Dan had no idea what he really was, but he knew at least that he hadn’t shifted yet. Phil had done research, and found out that the boy was indeed a werewolf, but he wasn’t entirely sure how the rest of the family came into play. As far as he could tell, none of them were, but that also had nothing to do with him.. It just made him feel better to know that, if push came to shove, Dan could, at the very least, take care of himself. 

He hadn’t seen Dan again until he was in his twenties, and wandering around the forest. Phil had been out hunting, which was more than difficult to do when the animals could sense his presence, when he’d seen the boy carrying boxes into what looked like a shack. He’d known that it was there, but he had long thought it had been abandoned, and to finally see someone, and someone that was  _ Dan, _ moving into it felt… wrong. Like no person should ever have to endure living quarters that small, and Phil was fairly certain that’s what he was doing, given the boxes of things being toted in. 

The boy looked different from the last time Phil had seen him. More defined. More grown up. Like he’d finally somewhat grown into his body. But Phil could still sense that there was something missing. That Dan hadn’t fully come to yet. 

But Phil watched, as he grew up even more. Saw the difference in him after his first transformation, and watched him struggle to gain control over the beast inside of him. Phil felt his heart swell with pride whenever Dan proved to be keeping himself in check. 

But after four long years of knowing that Dan was around and  _ lonely  _ (and Phil couldn’t deny that he was a little bit lonely, too), he decided it was time to introduce himself again. 

It went about as well as he had expected it to go. Dan didn’t recognize him as anything other than a vampire on  _ his  _ territory, though Phil had lived there far longer, and for once, Phil was upset that Dan didn’t seem to have the same ability to sense other supernatural creatures the way Phil did. He had thought that Dan would have known someone else was around by now and gone to look for them, the way Phil had all those years ago. But that didn’t happen, and there was no recognition in the werewolf’s eyes, and it meant Phil had to try again. 

He didn’t have a problem with it, and he did keep trying, and Dan gave in way quicker than Phil expected him to. But it was fine, because Dan was sitting on his couch, and Phil had tucked himself into his side, and neither of them were speaking. It was cozy, and Phil, for once, felt like he was in the right place at the right time. 

Dan, after chewing the last bit of his cereal and placing it on the table next to them, found himself with a vampire practically glued to his side. Dan wasn’t even pretending to be annoyed anymore. He couldn’t be. When he’d woken up that morning to Phil with his arm thrown around Dan’s waist and his head on his shoulder, Dan let himself melt into the touch of another person, for once, without hesitation.

“You know, I know you’re a werewolf. You don’t have to run off every time you need to shift.” Phil was speaking in a whisper, almost like he was only saying it to himself, “I know what it’s like to not be able to control something, Dan. You don’t have to hid it from me.”

Dan was quiet for a while, and had they been human, Phil probably would have thought he hadn’t heard him. As it was, Dan only nodded his head.

“And…” Phil trailed, and Dan felt a wave of nervous energy sweep over the vampire, “I know it’s only been a few days, but… I was wondering if maybe you wanted to move in here… with me?”

They still had a lot to talk about. How Phil had known who he was, and how they had originally met, because Dan knew that this wasn’t the first time. He wanted to know how old Phil really was, and what had happened to his family. Dan wanted to know what Phil was  _ really  _ like, and he wanted Phil to know all sides of him, too. Even the parts that weren’t always that good. It hadn’t taken Phil long to break down some of Dan’s barriers, he’d done it in the span of only three days, so he was sure it wouldn’t take long for him to smash the rest of them, either. 

He smiled, pressing himself even further into the man curled into his side. 

“Of course I want to move in with you, you spork. You fed me spaghetti and let me watch Studio Ghibli movies all day.” 

He was going to say something else, something more serious about how much he appreciated Phil for being so kind to him, but it was forgotten the moment the vampire reached up and placed his cold lips against Dan’s own in a soft peck. When he pulled away, Dan would have sworn he was blushing, but he knew that was impossible. He’d settle for the sheepish look on his face instead. 

Dan pulled him in for another one, giving the embarrassed vampire some small relief in knowing that he wasn’t the only one feeling that way. The kiss was cozy, and it felt to Dan a little bit like coming home.

He had spent twenty five years being different. Twenty five years being rejected by people who were meant to love him. But the vampire next to him was beaming with it, and Dan knew that he probably was, too. 

**Author's Note:**

> Come visit me [here](https://sleepyoceangirl.tumblr.com)


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